No matter how great a player someone may be during the prime of their career, we are reminded time and time again that it doesn’t last forever. Name a sport and I can rattle off countless examples of legends that were shown the door because their skills eventually eroded. It’s the nature of the beast. But when you witness it unfold, it almost becomes sad. Such is the case with Allen Iverson.
There’s no need to remind you of how special a player Iverson was. I’ve always thought him to be the most uniquely gifted player the NBA has ever seen, not named Dirk Nowitzki. His impact on the league goes much further than him being a prolific scorer at 6’0″ (if that). No one else has influenced the look and feel of the League quite like he has. His greatness on the court, and influence amongst other players and fans alike, makes him extremely rare. Which is why it was a tragedy when his inability to find work in the NBA caused him to flee to Turkey. I’m not privy to his financial situation and perhaps he needed the money, but I personally would’ve rather seen him retire than play in Europe.
What contributed to him not finding a suitor was his unwillingness to come off the bench. Well, after a year in Turkey and obscurity, he has changed his tune a bit and is willing to accept any role as long as it lands him back in the NBA. In fact, he scheduled a two-day tournament in Vegas that should’ve taken place last weekend, but that was cancelled. It was to only be comprised of NBA players, and was supposed to be a way for him to demonstrate that he still has gas left in the tank.
Iverson reportedly indicated recently that he would “relish” the opportunity to play for Celtics and it sounds as if that’s his first choice. I never would’ve thought of him in Boston but now that I think of it, it makes sense. The blueprint for Boston’s success over the last handful of years has been play from veterans. Aside from core vets like Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics also added guys like Michael Finley, Rahseed Wallace, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O’Neal and Shaq. If they still plan on following that model, Iverson would fit in seamlessly. I could see him providing a spark off the bench while playing 20 minutes or so.
The last time I saw Iverson with any regularity was during his second go-around in Philly. Sure, he lost a step (perhaps even two), but he wasn’t terrible. Even though we’re a year removed from that, I have a tough time believing that A.I. isn’t better than some guys who currently have an NBA gig. So, whenever this lockout gets resolved, I think Boston should make a run at Iverson. It will give the C’s another vet and give Iverson a shot at that elusive ring. He’ll come very cheap and because he doesn’t command many minutes, it’s a very low risk. And besides, Boston probably only has one more run in them anyway.
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
